Inside Your Eyes
by mfaerie32
Summary: Nate reunites with an old friend, whose daughter refers to him as...'Uncle? The team find her friendly and sweet, but Eliot's not convinced. He doesn't understand why they can't see her for what she really is...a spoiled socialite. The fact that she's blind makes no difference to him.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I tried to steal Leverage from John Rogers & Dean Devlin, but I'm nowhere near as good as our lovable thieves. =)**

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

**Chapter 1**

**Afflicted by love's madness all are blind.**

**-Sextus Propertius**

"Damn it Hardison, you had one job," Eliot growled, glaring at the hacker.

"Don't get snippy with me man, I already told you, it's not my fault they were blinded by my skills," the man in question retorted with a wide grin.

"I don't know why you guys are upset. I didn't get to find the safe," Parker pouted.

"There was no safe Parker!" both men snapped, yet again.

"Where else would he be hiding the diamonds?"

"Sweetie, we explained this," Sophie began in a calm voice.

Eliot released an irritated sigh. "For the last time Parker, they weren't diamonds, they were drugs."

"Then why not just call them that?" she retorted in a disappointed voice.

Eliot looked as if he was ready to strangle her. It was only two in the afternoon, but it had already been a long day, and they still had a lot of work to do if they were going to get their client's reputation back. In an attempt to circumvent yet another argument, Nate cleared his throat.

"Hardison, I need you to search the documents Parker pulled from Castucci's computer. Sophie, you'll meet with him as planned. Parker, while she's meeting with him in the morning, you'll go to his house and search for that report. Eliot, go with…"

The apartment phone rang and interrupted his train of thought, so he paused to answer it; albeit with a perturbed expression. "Yes? She didn't give a name?" At this, the team's curiosity peaked, except for Eliot who was too busy being entertained by Sophie's expression. "What does she look like? Tell her I'll be there in a minute." Four pairs of curious eyes met him as he glanced up from hanging up the phone. "I'll be back. Hardison, get to work on those files," he ordered as he made his way out of the apartment.

Silence reigned momentarily as the remaining teammates tried to make sense out of what had just happened.

"Well that wasn't suspicious at all," Hardison commented dryly.

Eliot silently chuckled at the jealousy written on Sophie's face. She and Nate could say there was nothing between them, but he knew better.

"Wait…he kept sayin' 'her'. Think its Maggie?" Hardison asked.

"Course not," Eliot answered irritably. "She'd leave her name."

"What do you think Parker? Parker? Where the hell did she…"

Sophie face was blank as she silently got up and walked out the door.

"Well hell, if everyone else is goin'," Hardison commented before following.

Eliot contemplated for a moment if he should even bother, but curiosity won out and he found himself closing the apartment door to follow. "Dammit, you're just as bad as they are," he mumbled to himself as he entered the elevator.

The mystery of where Parker had gone was answered when he spotted her perched quietly at a table in the corner, watching the scene play out with a grin on her face like it was movie night. Sophie and Hardison were standing right in front of him, the former with a look of disbelieving hurt on her face, the latter looking confused as hell.

Eliot quickly found that the subject of their varied reactions was the wide smile on Nate's face as he hugged and then affectionately held the shoulders of a young woman. "Didn't figure Nate to be the type to go for the young ones," he muttered, earning a glare from Sophie.

Standing just inches under his 5'10 frame, Eliot figured with her petite figure and youthful face, the woman couldn't be any older than nineteen or twenty. He wouldn't call her appearance plain, her features were pleasant enough, but she didn't have any remarkable characteristics and didn't seem to wear makeup to enhance her looks. But with her peachy complexion and bright red hair that tumbled past her shoulders in messy waves, he mentally conceded that she was in fact, pretty.

He shook his head as he watched Sophie all but stalk over to the table, her body language screaming possessiveness, and wrap her arm around Nate, all while glaring at the mystery woman. "Won't you introduce me to your friend Nate?"

Surprised not only by her arrival but by the nasty tone of her voice, the mastermind glanced at her and immediately raised a brow in amused confusion at the territorial expression she wore.

By this time, Parker's patience had worn off and she had moved silently to the table, and perched herself on a chair as she inspected the newcomer. Hardison, whether out of his own curiosity, to watch after Parker, or both, moved over to stand behind her. Taking a moment to nod and smile at an attractive brunette across the bar, Eliot joined what he had mentally labeled as the lynch mob.

"Sophie, this is Allyson. Allyson, this is my…friend Sophie," he finished awkwardly.

Lifting a sculpted eyebrow at him briefly, she turned her stare back to Allyson. "And how do you know Nate?"

Allyson smiled and Eliot was momentarily stunned. While moments ago her face had been just pretty, now, it was exquisite, transformed by absolute joy. "Oh Uncle Nate and my dad have been friends since college," she answered, surprising them with a lovely Irish lilt. "Once we moved to Boston six months ago, daddy started looking for him."

Hardison looked over at Eliot and mouthed, 'Uncle Nate?'

"Your accent is lovely dear. What part of Ireland are you from?" Sophie inquired, visibly relaxing.

"I've lived in Dublin for the last eighteen years," she answered, confirming Eliot's guess of her age.

Just by looking at her, Eliot could tell she was from money. Not just by the diamonds in her ears and her expensive, well-made clothes, but also by the way she spoke and held herself. The watch on her wrist alone cost more than his first car.

"I'm Parker," the thief announced suddenly with a grin, once they had all sat down. Eliot noticed that Allyson seemed to search for her by voice, at the same moment Sophie's eyes momentarily widened before once again settling into a friendly expression.

"Oh, you're quiet," Allyson mildly exclaimed. "I didn't hear you."

"Hear? Couldn't you just…" but Hardison nudged her side and gestured at his eyes, giving her the answer, as he himself had just figured it out.

"Judging by the silence I'm guessing that ye just realized I'm blind," she stated with a small chuckle.

"You mean you can't see? But you look so normal," Parker spouted, earning a hard look from Nate. Eliot closed his eyes briefly in exasperation and shook his head.

"There's nothing wrong with her Parker. She just can't see," Sophie explained.

"Parker," Eliot growled out as the thief began waving her hand in front of Allyson's face.

"What? Her eyes look fine," Parker commented in confusion.

Parker was right. The red head's eyes weren't clouded over like some of the blind people Eliot had met; which was fortunate, as it allowed one to enjoy their beautiful shade. Cerulean in color, her irises had the slightest hint of green, brightening them and reminding him of the crystalline turquoise waters of the Bahamas. Her best feature he decided; aside from her smile. **(AN: **** /AllyEyes**)

"No matter how much you wave your hand in front of me, I still won't see it," she announced, surprising the thief.

"Are you psychic?" Parker asked in awe.

"No," Allyson chuckled, "but I could tell by the light changing rapidly in front of me. You're also not the first to do it."

"So you can see some then?" Hardison wanted to know.

"Not shapes or people…it's more like how you can tell between a lighted and darkened room behind your eyelids."

"Were you born blind?" Sophie inquired.

"No I wasn't. I had a fight with a car when I was nine," she joked, but Eliot thought he could hear an underlying sadness.

"Where is your father?" Nate asked, changing the subject.

"He should be here soon. He was finishing up at work."

And as if he knew they were talking about him, Patrick Hayes picked that moment to walk through the door.

"There you are, angel face," he exclaimed; his own thick, Irish accent deep and booming, as he leaned down to kiss Allyson on the head.

"Hi Daddy."

With his medium frame and standing at 6'4", Allyson's father towered over most in the bar. And whereas Allyson's features were light, his were the exact opposite, given his black hair, tanned skin and chocolate eyes. Eliot figured she must get her looks from her mother, which also made him wonder where Mrs. Hayes was.

"Nate! How've you been?" he greeted boisterously, turning to Nate, who had stood to greet him.

"As well as can be expected," Nate replied, pulling him into a quick, one armed hug. "It's good to see you again Patrick," he greeted before sitting back down. "Where's Kieran ?"

"At work, like always," Allyson mumbled sullenly.

"Who's Kieran?" Parker wanted to know.

"Allyson's older brother," Nate answered.

"Drinks!" Patrick declared, calling the waitress over. "My treat," he told them. "A bottle of Midleton and two glasses my dear."

"Sir, the Midleton is one hundred and forty dollars a bottle," she informed him quietly.

"You're right," he replied charmingly with a thoughtful expression, "make it two bottles," he concluded, sliding his gold card onto her tray. "And anything else these folks want," he added.

"Bailey's please," Allyson murmured with a smile.

"I'll need to see your ID miss," the waitress requested, surprised to see her already holding it out.

Eliot watched silently as what was probably a familiar scene for Allyson played out. His guess of her age was obviously wrong as proven moments later when her ID was handed back to her.

"Ally, you know I don't like you drinking," her dad admonished.

"I'm twenty four daddy. And I don't see you drinking coke," she retorted with a sweet smile as the waitress took everyone else's order and walked away.

Nate smirked. "It seems she has Gwen's personality as well as her looks."

"You have no idea," Patrick replied dryly.

"I will take that as a compliment," she added.

"Who's Gwen?" Hardison asked.

"My mom," Ally answered.

"Where is she?" Parker wanted to know.

She did a very good job of hiding it, but Eliot could still see the grief stricken expression that flitted briefly across her face before a happy mask covered it back up.

"Gwen died when Ally was young," Patrick explained, not offering any further details.

"So I've been introduced to Nate, Sophie and Parker. I believe there are two more I haven't met yet," Allyson stated, obviously trying to change the subject.

"Alec Hardison at your service," the hacker greeted from her left.

"Pleasure to meet you Alec," she replied before turning in Eliot's direction. "You don't speak much, do you?"

"When somethin' needs to be said," he replied.

"I love your accent. Texas?"

"Among other places," Eliot answered curtly.

"So should I call you broody cowboy or…"

"Allyson, apologize," her father told her sternly.

"I'm just teasing him daddy," she defended.

"Eliot."

"Hello Eliot," she replied, smiling warmly at him, causing him to force back the reflex to suck in a breath as that damn smile focused directly on him.

The drinks arrived and Patrick immediately poured a glass of whiskey for both him and Nate.

"What brings you back to Boston?" the mastermind asked.

"Expanding the business," he explained. "I'll be traveling back to Dublin on occasion, but we've already bought a place in Beacon Hill."

'Of course they have,' Eliot thought. Beacon Hill was the richest neighborhood in Boston. He looked over to observe Allyson reaching out in search of her drink. "It's at your two 'o clock," he murmured, earning a surprised but grateful expression as she glanced toward him.

"Thank you Eliot," she replied with a tilt of her lips, as she found her glass easily and took a drink.

"You don't have your own place?" Parker asked Allyson in confusion.

"Ally enjoys keeping her old man company, is that not right Angel?"

"Of course Daddy," she replied with a smile and another emotion that Eliot couldn't quite place.

'More like living off daddy's money,' Eliot thought to himself.

"What is your business," Sophie inquired.

"Hotels and luxury apartments…I took over the business from my father when I was thirty three. It's the reason we moved to Ireland."

"Oh, so you weren't born there," Sophie commented.

"Well I was. I moved to Boston to go to college and met Nate in my sophomore year. Reunited with Ally's mom eight years after graduating and moved back home three years later," he explained.

"And now you're back," Nate finished for him with a smirk.

"That I am," he replied with a large grin. "Imagine all the trouble we can get into," he chuckled, to which Nate actually smiled. "Remember in junior year when we got the Dean's…"

"What do you mean reunited with her?" Parker wanted to know, interrupting him.

Patrick chuckled. "I was friends with her in college, but she already had a boyfriend," he answered, throwing an amused smile at Nate.

"You Nate?" Sophie voiced.

"The three of us were good friends through most of college," he confirmed.

"Well that had to be awkward," Hardison snickered.

"No. At the time she was just a dear friend. When we reunited after college, she and Nate had been apart for a few years and he had already married Maggie. That's when things changed." A wistful smile appeared on his face, transforming his rugged features into something softer.

Sensing that the mood was in danger of becoming maudlin due to sad memories, Nate switched topics. "The New England Boat Show is coming up in February. You interested?"

Patrick's face brightened. "Have you gone senile since I saw you last? Of course I am. You'll have to come by the marina one day and take a look at…"

Drowning out the two men's conversation, Eliot's attention turned to the other one going on.

"What do you do Allyson?" Sophie asked politely.

"Ally, please," she replied warmly. "I volunteer at a school for the blind here in Boston and make jewelry on the side," the soft smile on her face giving away how much she enjoyed what she did.

"Of course the jewelry making is just a hobby," Patrick interrupted. "I keep trying to convince her to work with the company's accountants. She's a genius when it comes to numbers," he explained proudly.

"Just because I'm good with numbers doesn't mean I find accounting fun," she countered. "Besides, you know I don't want to work at the company."

'More like doesn't want to work at all,' Eliot thought snidely. In the back of his mind he wondered why he was thinking such nasty thoughts of her; she seemed outwardly like a nice girl…no, woman. But in his experience, young women that still lived at home with their rich parents and didn't work, volunteering their time at places that were considered charitable, were trouble and most often spoiled socialites. The fact that she was blind gave her no excuse in his eyes to not be independent.

A heart shaped face with deep brown eyes, full lips and blonde hair filled his mind briefly, before he shoved it away.

"Don't blind people usually have dogs?" Parker blurted out.

"Some do, but I'm allergic to them," she explained.

"Then how do you get around?" Parker asked.

"I have a driver that takes me where I need to go most of the time," Ally explained with a smile.

'_Spencer, this is my daughter Elizabeth; you will be her driver and take her wherever she needs to go. Do not let her leave your sight.'_ The memory came to him unbidden, making him realize suddenly why this woman was rubbing him the wrong way.

Parker leaned on the table more, moving closer to Ally, obviously getting more into the conversation. "What about when you go shopping for food or clothes?"

"Sometimes I just have my groceries delivered, but usually I have a personal shopper that accompanies me to help," she finished with a chuckle as if it were an inside joke.

"Figures," Eliot mumbled snidely, earning not only a confused expression from Hardison, but a reproachful look from Sophie as well. If Allyson heard it, she didn't acknowledge it. 'Probably has people trippin' over themselves to help her while she spends her dad's money,' Eliot thought disgustedly.

"So how about when…"

"Parker, this isn't an inquisition," Sophie interrupted. "We've just met Ally and I'm sure she doesn't want to spend the entire day answering questions."

"But I…"

"I don't mind," Allyson assured them with a soft smile. "There's nothing wrong with curiosity. What do all of you do? If you don't mind my asking."

Five pairs of eyes flashed to each other for a brief second before Nate finally spoke. "We're a consulting group that investigates different….situations based on our clients' needs," he answered smoothly.

"Like private detectives?" Allyson replied happily, "How exciting."

Parker's eyes lit up. "Oh yeah, just a few months ago, I got trapped in an agricultural building and the rest of the…" Sophie's eyes and Hardison's nudge stopped her before she went any further.

"Not too far off from when you investigated insurance fraud," Patrick commented.

"A lot different than you'd think," Nate quipped.

Conversation flowed smoothly for the next hour; Nate and Patrick talking about everything from past exploits to current happenings, while Parker continued to pepper Ally with questions ranging from how she watched movies to how she shaved her legs. Hardison even threw in some questions, asking her if she had a computer, and when she admitted to having a laptop, began asking her how she used it, what programs she used for ease of access and so on. Sophie split her attention between Nate's conversation, and making sure Parker didn't ask Ally anything too personal.

Eliot sat there silently, listening to both discussions as he drank his beer. He had answered the occasional question from both Patrick and Ally, but for the most part, he was content to sit silently, wondering why he hadn't left yet.

Allyson's phone rang then, interrupting the flow of conversation. "Hello? Ok, I understand. No, go ahead, I'll make other arrangements. " Hanging up, she returned her attention to the others.

"Everything all right Ally? Her father asked.

"Of course. Roger had to leave, his little girl is sick. But I'll catch a ride home with…" But then she was interrupted by her father's cell phone ringing.

"Yes? What do you mean there's a problem with the chef? The grand opening is this Saturday! And why is that? Fine, tell him I'll be there in fifteen minutes, and he had better not leave," he finished in a seriously irritated voice. "I'm sorry Nate, but work calls. How about you and your partners come to the opening on Saturday?" he suggested, already standing and putting on his coat. "Angel face, I'm sorry I have to hurry, I see you tonight at home. Give them the details for Saturday would you?" And with a quick kiss to her temple he rushed out the door.

"I'm guessing your dad was going to be your ride home?" Nate asked, catching on to what she was saying before.

"Yes, but that's fine. I'll call a friend to give me a ride," she assured him with a smile.

"What's this about an opening on Saturday?" Sophie inquired; her eyes alight at the idea of a party.

"Well since he has officially invited you," she chuckled. "It's a party for the opening of Angel Heights Luxury Apartments. Mostly it's to draw more customers in, but there will be drinks, music, and Daddy's hired a 4 star chef for the event. I'll have to remind his assistant Regina to send invitations over here for you since its invite only."

"That sounds lovely," Sophie answered excitedly. "Nate and I will definitely be there," she answered, ignoring the questioning look she received from the mastermind.

"Did you say there'd be food?" Hardison asked with a toothy grin. "I've never been one to pass up on good food. Count me in."

"Does that mean I have to go?" Parker whispered.

"It would be the polite thing to do," Hardison explained in a whisper. "Plus she's practically Nate's family."

Eliot sighed. There was no way he was going to some stuck up affair and dressing in a monkey suit, just to listen to rich people talk to each other about how much money they had.

"Well I do hope that all of you can be there. I would love the chance to get to know you all better, especially since you seem to be such good friends with Uncle Nate," Ally commented, pulling her cell phone out of her purse, pushing a button and listening as it told her the time. "Oh, it's later than I thought. The party is formal dress and begins at eight. I apologize, but I have to go. I have several things to do today and I still have to call my ride," she informed them apologetically as she stood up and allowed Nate to help her with her coat before leaning in to hug him. "Maybe we can do lunch on Thursday?" she asked him hopefully as she pulled back to extend her cane, smiling widely when he agreed.

"It was lovely to meet you dear," Sophie gushed, stepping forward to embrace her warmly. "I look forward to getting to know you better as well."

Ally was about to reply, but let out a surprised sound as Parker lurched forward with an awkward hug of her own. "Oh…it was nice to meet you as well Parker," she chuckled.

Eliot closed his eyes in irritation at the thief's antics as Hardison shook his head with a smile.

"What?" Parker exclaimed. "Everyone else was doing it?" she defended.

"Hardison, Eliot, it was a pleasure to meet you both. I look forward to seeing you on Saturday," she told them, before making her last goodbyes and turning to make her way out of the bar.

Sophie smiled at the mastermind. "She's lovely Nate."

"Why didn't you tell us you had a niece?" Hardison wanted to know. "And a cute one at that," he added with a wide grin.

Nate's frown and raised eyebrow shut the hacker up. "She's not my niece by blood. It's more of an…honorary thing. And I haven't talked to her or Patrick since Sam…" The sad expression on his face told the team the rest.

"I can't wait to see how she watches a movie. You think she can come over on Thursday after you have lunch?" Parker asked excitedly with a hopeful look in her eyes.

"She's not an experiment Parker," Eliot commented gruffly.

"But I just thought…" she replied with a downtrodden expression.

"It's okay momma. We'll ask her later," Hardison reassured her, glaring at the hitter who just rolled his eyes.

"Okay guys, we have a job to finish," Nate reminded them. "Hardison, get to work on the files. Sophie, you have a meeting to prepare for. Eliot, Parker, you have the rest of the night off," he concluded, heading back to his apartment, Sophie following.

"Hey girl, I heard there's a new chocolate shop on Washington. Wanna check it out with me?"

Her brows furrowed. "Don't you have to go through computer files?"

"I've got them runnin' through my decryption program at the moment. It's gonna take a while."

The thief's eyes widened in delight as she grabbed his hand and pulled him eagerly out of the bar, barely giving him enough time to zip up his coat.

Pulling a blue beanie over his head, Eliot quickly made his way out soon after, with the full intention of going home, kicking back with a beer, and watching the football game he had recorded. It was rare that they got a break in the middle of a con, so he planned to take full advantage of the respite. He was thinking that it wouldn't take much to whip up his special artichoke dip to go with the new artisan whole wheat chips he had picked up at that organic market the other day, when he recognized a very familiar voice.

"Josh? Are you home? If you're screening your calls again, I could really use a lift right now. My driver 'inconveniently' left me stranded and I can't get a hold of Chris or Olivia either," she pleaded with a bit of irritation.

'Her driver's daughter getting sick was inconvenient?' he thought, feeling justified at his initial assessment of her.

"Great," she exclaimed. "I am not taking a taxi. Maybe Uncle Nate can give me a lift," she murmured, turning to make her way back into the bar.

Eliot sighed and lowered his head, briefly cursing his mama's lessons on helping a woman in need. "I can give you a lift," he offered reluctantly as she began to pass by him.

She sucked in a startled breath but quickly recovered as an expression of recognition crossed her face. "Eliot?"

"Yeah," he confirmed. "I heard you on the phone tryin' to find a ride. Where you need to go?"

"Are you sure? I'd be very grateful, but I don't want to…"

"It's no problem."

"Thank you," she said with an appreciative smile. "Uhm…where is…"

Realizing she was waiting for him to guide her to his truck, and mentally hitting himself for not realizing it sooner, he hesitantly reached out for back, only to have her run her hand run down his arm to his elbow and grasp it gently.

"So how long have you worked with Uncle Nate?" Ally asked, trying to make friendly banter.

"Three years," he replied shortly, helping her into the passenger seat before heading to the driver's side.

"Where am I goin'?" he asked her once he was behind the wheel.

"The corner of Stuart and Arlington." A few moments of silence passed before she tried yet again. "All of you seem like a very…..eclectic group. How did you meet?"

Eliot did not feel like making conversation with her. All he wanted to do was drive her wherever she needed to go and then go home and drink a beer.

"Why didn't you just call a cab?" he asked, changing the subject, confusing her by the slight sharpness of his tone.

"Well…I don't really care for them. I'd rather not….I just don't use them," she answered.

"Okay," he replied, thinking yet again how right he had been about her. Even he took a cab when he needed to.

"I have to make a few calls, please excuse me for a moment," she told him, pulling out her cell.

He absently paid attention as she tapped her phone and listened to it read out what he assumed to be her contacts, until it spoke the one she needed and she shook the phone. He had to admit, the app was ingenious. Navigating the roads, he tried to ignore her as she made calls, ; cancelling appointments and apologizing for not coming in to volunteer. At one point she spoke very harshly to one girl, stating that she was not at their beck and call; which yet again, proved his theory that she only volunteered at the places she did for her own benefit.

The rest of the car ride went by in silence, despite Allyson's attempts at conversation. Eliot had no desire to get to know her, because he knew her type. The fact that she was pseudo related to Nate made no difference.

He pulled in front a three story, light brick building with a stone entry reading 'The Cassidy School for the Blind' and cut the engine.

"We're here," he announced. "Do you need…help?"

"No thank you. The ride was more than enough," she assured him. "Thank you again Eliot," she told him, getting out of the truck and unfolding her cane. "I look forward to seeing you again," she concluded, flashing him a hopeful smile.

"Yeah...maybe," he answered, watching as a confused expression crossed her face before shutting the door and walking off toward the building.

As he finally headed home, he thought that while she might be Nate's niece and the others might grow to love her, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was going to be nothing but trouble.

**Okay, let me clear up some things.**

**I don't know any blind people, I did research, so if I offend, trust me, it's not my intention.**

**My grandpa's entire line was Irish, but he had been here so long, he didn't have an accent, if I write any slang wrong, I apologize for not gettin' it right.**

**I would really love to hear what you guys think.**

**Jen**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Still don't own it. =(**

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

**Chapter 2**

**Your subtleties, they strangle me, I can't explain myself at all.**

**And all the wants, and all the needs, all I don't want to need at all.**

**The walls start breathing, my mind's unweaving,**

**Maybe it's best you leave me alone.**

**- All American Rejects "It Ends Tonight"**

By the time Thursday came around, Eliot had put his first meeting with Allyson out of his head. He truly didn't expect to see her rarely if ever, and certainly didn't see putting himself in situations where he would be spending time with her. She was Nate's…niece, so to speak, so in his mind, she would probably only be spending time with him, if even at all. If his assumption about her was correct that was.

It had been a restful couple of days since they had finished their last job four days ago and he had thoroughly enjoyed every moment, inventing new recipes to cook, tending his garden and reading. Whether the rest of the team believed it or not, he didn't just bust heads 24/7.

Today, he had planned to spend the day catching up with an old military buddy of his that was in town, until he had received a call from Parker telling him it was important that he come to Nate's as soon as possible; which was how he found himself walking through Nate's door moments later.

"And now, he's distracting him with a basket of fish so he can put the tail device on him," Parker stated excitedly.

"Parker, what's the point of having the audio description on if you're gonna do it," Hardison wondered.

"I'm much better at it that some strange person on the dvd," she argued.

It was then that he heard the third voice, and a headache began forming. "I don't mind Alec," Ally chuckled. "She does put more life into it than the prerecorded descriptions." Hardison shook his head with a smile as the thief gave him a smug expression.

"Hey man," the hacker greeted, finally taking notice of the hitter. "What are you doin' here?" he asked, turning off the dvd's AD feature.

"Parker called and said it was an emergency," he answered, catching on quickly that no meeting was taking place. 'What's she doin' here?' he mouthed at Hardison, trying to reign in his already growing irritation. The hacker looked at him in confusion, not understanding what his problem was.

"Hi Eliot," Allyson greeted, unaware of the silent conversation. "What are you making for us today?"

"What?"

"Well I was supposed to go to lunch with Uncle Nate today, but when I showed up, Parker declared movie time and said that she'd call you to come and make a late lunch."

He ran a hand through his hair trying to ignore the ache in his frontal lobe. "Where's Nate & Sophie?"

"Parker sent them to the store to get food, cause apparently coffee, orange soda and cereal don't count," Hardison chuckled.

"How's this an emergency Parker?" Eliot growled out.

Parker's eyebrows scrunched in confusion as she turned on the couch to face him. "Ally's never tasted your cooking before. And she's Nate's niece," she replied simply.

Eliot closed his eyes briefly and took a breath. "Did you ever think I had plans today?"

"Well if you did, why did you come over here?"

"Because you said it was an emergency," he ground out slowly.

"If you have other plans Eliot, please don't feel you have to stay just because I'm here," Allyson offered, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Trust me princess. That's what I'm gonna do," he answered, turning back to the door. Only to watch as it opened and Nate and Sophie came through carrying grocery bags.

"Perfect timing," Nate smirked, walking past him.

"We bought the ingredients for that lovely alfredo and zucchini pasta you make," Sophie informed him with a smile, placing the bag in his arms before heading toward the living room.

Resigned to his fate, Eliot sighed and headed to the kitchen.

"Have I done something to upset him?" Ally asked softly.

Hardison glanced in Eliot's direction before turning back to her. "Eliot? Nah girl…he's like that to everyone. Hell, if he started being nice, I'd think something was wrong," he quipped.

"It's not you sweetie. It just takes him a while to warm up to people," Sophie tried to assure her, glancing questioningly at Nate.

"What have you been doing the last few years?" Nate asked.

"Well," Allyson began with a smile. "I graduated top of the class from Trinity three years ago and received my Masters in Business and Economics a year later."

"Business?" Nate echoed in confusion. "Never saw you as the type."

"I was originally going to do arts, but daddy suggested with my…as he puts it…'gift' for numbers and organizing, that a Business degree might be better suited," she explained. "I couldn't really argue since he was footing the bill," she chuckled. "But it ended up being the best decision I've ever made," she smiled.

"How so?" Sophie inquired.

"Her daddy probably paid the damn dean off," Eliot muttered under his breath as he put the pasta in the boiling water.

"M…the school that I help out at." Nate raised an eyebrow at her slip of the tongue. "They run mostly off of grants and donations, so I help them with the money issues, making sure they can get the things needed for the school to run smoothly."

"Why don't you wanna work for your dad?" Parker asked.

Ally chuckled. "He would have me stuck in an office somewhere in front of a computer, reading screen after screen of numbers. Not exactly…enjoyable in my opinion. I do help him out a little here and there though."

"How so? "Parker wanted to know.

"Spendin' her dad's money," Eliot muttered as he stirred the sauce.

"Daddy has a lot of foreign investors. He barely speaks Irish, let alone any other language, so I communicate and translate for him occasionally," she explained.

"How many languages do you speak?" Sophie wanted to know.

"Ally's what you would call a polyglot," Nate answered, a hint of a pride in his expression.

The young woman smiled. "I know sixteen, but I'm only fluent in ten of them."

'I doubt it,' Eliot thought. He had to hold in his snort of disbelief.

"You know sixteen different languages?" Hardison repeated in astonishment, eyes wide.

Nate chuckled. "Numbers aren't the only thing Ally has a gift for."

"Now you sound like my dad."

"But that would mean that you had to start learning when you were six," Hardison commented.

"That's right. My grandmother was ashamed that my dad hadn't even tried to teach me Irish before then. She made sure I did." A sad expression crossed her face.

"Your grandmother is dead?" Sophie gently prodded.

"Three years ago," Ally nodded. "She was startled when I learned it well enough within two months to have a full conversation. When she informed my mom and dad, they were surprised. I told them that I enjoyed it and wanted to learn more. My teachers agreed that I had a talent for it."

Eliot couldn't contain the snort that escaped, causing Nate to cock an eyebrow in his direction as Sophie sent him a disapproving glare. He ignored them. It wasn't the first time he had heard the story she was telling.

'_My daddy hired tutors for me, but they're so stuffy.'_

'_I could give you lessons sweetheart,' he told her as he kissed along her jaw._

'_Lessons in French or something else?' she giggled._

'_I was thinkin' of implementin' a reward system,' he grinned devilishly before leaning in for a heated kiss._

Eliot shook his head to clear away the memories so he could refocus on what he was doing.

"How do you stay in practice? If one doesn't actively use a language, it fades with time," Sophie said.

"I've made friends with a few of my dad's business partner's wives in Europe and Asia. I also talk via the internet to friends I've made in other countries. The ones I'm not fluent in, I read or watch TV to keep in practice," she explained.

"Say something foreign," Parker spouted.

"Parker, she's not here for your entertainment," Sophie admonished.

'Most likely can't,' Eliot snarked mentally, placing the shredded zucchini in the sauté pan. Deciding he'd had enough, he looked in her direction before speaking up. "Shizen no utsukushi-sa o taiken…" 'Translate that princess,' he thought with a smug expression.

Only to have it wiped away when Ally turned in his direction with a surprised smile on her face. "Sō suru koto de jibun jishin ni tsuite manabu."

Sophie fought to control the smile that lit her face upon seeing Eliot's incredulous expression.

"That just sounds like gibberish," Parker commented.

"It's Japanese," Nate told her.

"Experience the beauties of nature, and in doing so learn about yourself," Ally translated. "It's one of my favorite Japanese proverbs. Perhaps you and I can converse in Japanese sometime. I love the language, but I very rarely get an opportunity to speak with Mika." All she got in reply was a disgruntled sound form the hitter, making Hardison chuckle.

Their conversation continued, but Eliot tuned them out as he began retrieving what he needed for the salad. Allyson Hayes seemed like a nice woman, but Eliot felt that she wasn't being entirely truthful when she answered questions. Which meant that either she was hiding something or she was pretending to be someone she wasn't. Neither of which made Eliot want to get to know her better. He refused to put himself in that situation again.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" a soft voice inquired from behind him.

Eliot's whole body tensed as he turned and gave her a once over. "Sure…why not," he agreed, setting the cutting board and knife on the counter next to her. "You can cut up everything for the salad." He was aware of his teammates' eyes upon him, but he ignored them and placed her hand on the knife to show her where it was.

He disregarded the soft warmth from the contact.

While he set the table, he occasionally sent glances her way, watching her set about the task given to her. It was clear that she had some skill in the kitchen, simply by the way she handled the knife. Her movements were slow, which was understandable, but they were precise and deliberate. After confirming that she wasn't likely to cut her finger off, he finished setting the plates out and then went to finish the pasta. Once he had dished it into a large serving bowl, he turned and was surprised to see Ally wiping her hands on a dishtowel; the completed salad looking as good as any he would have done in a bowl on the counter next to her.

"I'm surprised," he remarked dryly. At her inquiring expression, he said, "That you can handle yourself so…competently in a kitchen."

He was secretly amused when her eyes hardened just the slightest. "Because I'm blind, right?" It seemed he had hit a sensitive spot. "That's one of society's biggest misconceptions. Just because a person has a disability does NOT mean that they are not capable of doing things like everyone else."

"That's not what I meant."

"Oh!" her cheeks reddened from her embarrassment. "I get a little defensive about…well…never mind. I get bored easily, so daddy found a cooking teacher for me a few years back."

'_Daddy takes good care of me, but I get bored easily. Maybe you could be my new…distraction?'_

'Of course he did. I imagine spending his money and pretending to work must not take up much time,' he thought snidely. "Lunch is ready!" he called out.

At his announcement, the others took their seats, conveniently leaving Eliot with the seat next to Ally. He swore he could see a gleam in Sophie eyes.

Conversation flowed effortlessly as they ate. Ally's friendly demeanor, easy smile and soft, lilting accent flowed around the table like gentle waves, drawing the others in like a magnet. But Eliot wasn't one to be fooled. He just kept to himself, made an occasional comment, and drank his beer.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Eliot and Nate were clearing the table when Ally's phone rang. "Hello? What are you doing here? Yes, I'm upstairs. You shouldn't even be here. I told you I would see you later," she whispered irritatedly.

The others looked on in slight curiosity, except for Eliot who was doing his best to ignore her.

"I'll be home later. Josh not…" she sighed. "I'll be down in a moment. Can you give me that?" she asked wearily before hanging up.

"Is everything alright?" Sophie asked worriedly.

"Everything's fine. My boyfriend is waiting for me downstairs. He's being a little…impatient. I'm afraid I have to go."

It figured that she treated her boyfriend the same as her employees, Eliot thought.

"But you didn't get to…" Parker began, only to have Hardison nudge and shake his head.

Sophie walked forward and hugged her. "We'll see you at the party on Saturday then."

"Oh I hope so. It will be nice to have a few people there I know."

"I'll walk you down," Nate offered, taking her arm.

After they left, Sophie rounded on Eliot.

"What was that all about?"

"What was what about?" Eliot retorted, placing dishes in the sink.

"Where's the hate comin' from man? I'm surprised you didn't just hit her in the head!" Hardison answered.

"Eliot's just being his usual grumpy self. It's not that he doesn't like her. Right?" Parker asked, looking at the hitter in confusion.

"I've met girls like her before. She's not who she pretends to be. I don't deal with people like that. But she's Nate's family, so I'll try to be civil."

"Maybe you should really try to get to know her. You'll have more of an opportunity at the party," the grifter tried.

There was no way he was going to that party. No way in hell.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

He would never fully understand how he had been talked into it.

But somewhere in between Sophie's soothing tone, Parker's wide eyes and Hardison's incessant persuasion, he had given in.

Yep. He had been grifted.

But now that he was here, he had to admit; albeit silently, that the party was nothing like he had expected. Instead of a garishly overdone affair, what he discovered instead was a subtle, but elegantly decorated room in hues of teals and soft oranges. Sheer material draped along the walls, surrounding the room and lending a soft, ethereal feel. Dozens of round tables lined the walls in a seemingly chaotic manner, decorated simply with white tablecloths and alternating teal and orange table runners. The center of the room was reserved for the dance floor, allowing the guests plenty of space to dance and enjoy the music that the orchestra was playing. And soft lights from wall sconces and the table centerpieces illuminated the gathering, creating an impression of intimacy. The overall effect was a comfortable and friendly atmosphere of understated elegance. Eliot was impressed.

Of course it didn't hurt that there was an open bar.

Beer in hand, he made his way over to where the rest of the team were gathered, determined to make it through the party. But if the looks the curvy blonde across the room was throwing his way were anything to go by, he'd be having a much more enjoyable evening after this affair was over and done with.

"Tell me more about this business of yours Nate. You said you're investigators?" Patrick inquired.

"Yes, we help people who have exhausted all other methods."

"Is that kind of thing profitable?"

"We do well enough."

"Good…good," Patrick nodded.

"Dad, not to be rude to your friends, but there are several people here that you should be talking…"

"Kieran, don't be rude son. Relax, enjoy yourself for once. There's plenty of time for business," his father assured him with a grin.

Kieran Hayes gave people an excellent idea of what his father had looked like at twenty seven. The dark hair, chocolate eyes and sharp jawline made him very noticeable to the women present at the party. But as Ally had mentioned, he seemed to be all business. Eliot wondered if he ever smiled with the stern expression he seemed to constantly wear. It didn't look as if the boy knew how to loosen up at all.

It was at that moment that Ally walked up, her hand on the elbow of an older woman who she was speaking German with. The soft expression that appeared on her brother's face did not go unnoticed by the group. It seemed Patrick Jr. did have a soft spot.

"Ich würde gerne zum Abendessen mit Ihnen und Ihrem Sohn haben nächste Woche," Ally said with a smile.

The older woman smiled in return. "Ich glaube, dies ist Ihre Party. Es war ein Vergnügen, Sie zu treffen Ally. Ich freue mich auf ein Wiedersehen am nächsten Dienstag."

Adorned only with a simple, diamond tennis bracelet and a pair of diamond studs, the one shouldered sequined sheath flowed over her slim form to the floor, encasing her left arm and leaving her right beautifully bare. Her red mane; pulled up in a messy, but subtlety styled braided bun, brought focus to her face. That, paired with the color of the dress, which was a lighter shade of turquoise, only served to make her eyes appear more vibrant.

"Making new friends I see," her dad said, alerting Ally to where he was standing. Reaching out, she found his arm and hooked hers around his elbow.

"Oh yes. Her name is Anna Gruenewald. Her husband runs an advertising agency. When I asked about her accent and she realized I spoke German, we hit it off immediately. They're quite impressed with the building and I believe they might be among your first tenants Daddy."

"That's my girl," Patrick praised. "Your love of languages always has a way of helping out. "

"Of course," she replied, a tinge of resignation in her voice. "I'm having lunch with her next week. I really think she's just trying to set me up with her son though," she chuckled.

"I'm happy you're enjoying yourself Angel," her dad replied, patting her hand. "My girl did an excellent job of decorating, don't you think?" The pride in his voice was evident as e addressed the group.

"I only suggested ideas to the decorator," she replied, obviously trying to downplay her part in it.

"You did a lovely job," Sophie complimented, earning a smile of gratitude from the young woman.

"So Nate, how long have you and Sophie been together?"

The grifter's eyes widened slightly as Eliot watched in silent amusement while Nate tried his best not to choke on the sip of Scotch he had just taken.

"We're not together," Sophie explained. "We've been friends for years. We met in our previous...occupations."

"And what did you do before working with this old dog," Patrick smiled.

"I was an appraiser," she lied smoothly.

"How did you put your makeup on Ally?" Parker asked suddenly, in reference to the red head's smoky eye makeup and lip gloss.

"Mama..." Hardison began.

"Very slowly and carefully," Ally smiled.

"But you can't see. How can you?"

"Parker," Eliot growled.

"I don't mind Eliot," she assured him. "Years of trial and Error," she told the thief. "I can show you sometime if you like."

Parker's eyes widened. "Really?" Hardison had to stop her from moving toward Ally.

"She didn't mean now." The thief's face fell.

A blonde man in his late twenties walked up next to the younger woman. "Hello Allyson. I've been looking for you." The tone of his voice sounded reprimanding.

"I've been here," she replied. "You were just busy with guests," she defended.

"I do have responsibilities dear. Joshua Lawrence, I work for Mr. Hayes," he stated, turning to the others. "Mr. Hayes, I'm sorry to interrupt, but there's a couple that would like to meet you." The smooth tenor of his voice held an air of self-importance.

"Well it seems it's time to get back to work," he chuckled. "Maybe I'll catch you before you leave tonight," he told Nate.

"I look forward to it."

"You promised me a dance," Ally reminded Josh softly, letting go of her father's arm to try and take her boyfriend's.

"I've told you how I feel about showing...affection in public," he whisper, gently pushing her arm away. "Save me a dance for later, I have to go now."

A disappointed look adorned her face as he walked off. It seemed that he was more interested in sucking up to his boss than he was in his own girlfriend. Of course, he could have also still been upset with how she treated him on the phone the day before yesterday. Eliot didn't blame him.

"I should go with them," Kieran announced, taking Ally's elbow briefly. "Will you be alright alone?" It was obvious that the younger man took his role of older brother seriously and truly cared for his baby sister.

A tight smile formed on Ally's face. "Of course Kieran. I'll be right here. You go with Daddy and Josh."

Indecisive, he paused briefly before leaning in to kiss her temple. "All right."

"I wanna dance!" Parker exclaimed suddenly, grabbing Hardison's hand and dragging him onto the dance floor.

Nate held his hand out to Sophie in silent question.

She looked about to say yes, but became hesitant when her gaze landed on Ally. "Oh, I don't know, maybe I should…"

"Don't worry about me," Ally interjected. "Please go and dance, don't stay on my account," she assured the older woman. Eliot took note at how easily she read between the lines.

After a moment's hesitation, Sophie finally relented and took Nate's hand. "But I get next dance with him," Ally added with a smile. At which Nate chuckled and agreed.

Sophie caught Eliot's eye and nodded in Ally's direction before looking at the dance floor.

No way in hell.

Once left alone, the two stood in silence; one unsure of what to say, the other not wanting to talk at all. "Do you dance?" Ally finally asked.

"On occasion."

"You really don't talk much," she chuckled. "You and Roger would get along perfectly."

"Your driver?" She nodded. "The one that inconvenienced you a few days ago?" he asked.

"Yes, that would be him," she confirmed, smiling. She obviously hadn't caught the disgust in his voice. "Would you…like to dance?"

He didn't know if it was the tentative hopefulness in her voice, the mild glare Sophie was directing at him, or just the fact that participating a little might make the night go by faster, but he found himself agreeing.

Leading her out onto the dance floor with his hand on her lower back, he found an unoccupied space and turned her, pulling her into his arms. For a split second, he forgot that she irritated him, and enjoyed the feel of her petite frame pressed against his. He was a man after all.

"You don't like formal events do you?"

"What makes you say that?"

"You seem…tense. Like you're not comfortable in your own skin. You don't like wearing suits do you?"

"Not really," he admitted. "But I will if the occasion calls for it."

"Well I'm glad you did," she smiled at him. "Even if this isn't your idea of fun. It gives me an opportunity to get to know you better."

'_Do you ever have fun?'_

'_I read and work out at the gym,' he answered._

'_No silly, I mean something that's actually fun,' she giggled. At his blank expression she continued. 'I'm taking you out tonight. We'll have fun. I promise.'_

"Why?" he asked once the memory faded.

"Why what?"

"Why do you want to get to know me?"

She looked honestly confused. "Because you work with Uncle Nate. He respects you a great deal and the way he talks with you tells me he cares about you. Why wouldn't I want to get to know you?"

He had nothing to say to that.

"Maybe we could do lunch one day. Parker and Alec introduced me to this wonderful little café on Stuart."

"You've spent time with them?" he asked disbelievingly. What was it about her that drew them in so easily.

"Of course. They're great people. Very fun to be around. I don't get to spend time with others my own age often, the school keeps me very busy. Olive tries to get me out but there always seems to be something to help with.

"Olive?" If that was a person's name, their parents had been cruel.

Ally chuckled, "Olivia Phillips, my dearest friend. Olive is my nickname for her. Without her I don't think I would have fun. Don't get me wrong, I love my work, but it seems as if I never truly have time to enjoy myself."

'_It's so tiring working with all these charities. You have no idea Eliot,' she told him with a smile. 'But it's all worth it.'_

"Yeah, I'm sure you have it really hard princess," he sneered in reply.

She pulled back slightly with a surprised expression on her face as realization finally hit her. "You truly don't like me do you?"

"Whatever gave you that idea," the hitter drawled sarcastically.

"Have I done something to offend you?" she was genuinely puzzled.

"Sweetheart…everything about you offends me."

She looked as if she had been slapped as she backed out of his arms. "What?"

"You play the naïve card pretty well, I'll give you that."

"I don't understand."

Eliot chuckled darkly. He was done being nice. "Oh I think you do. Livin' with your 'daddy' to keep him company? Please sweetheart, the only reason a twenty four year old lives with parents of your father's stature is because of the money."

"Are you insinuating that the only reason I live with my father is to spend his money?" her accent becoming noticeably stronger as she became more irritated.

"I'm not insinuating. Good thing you got goin' though. Have him wrapped around your little finger. Of course you seem to have a talent for doin' that with everyone you meet don't you? Well everyone but me of course." Her face took on an expression he couldn't quite read. It was most likely shock for being called out. "You spin your stories of the school you 'volunteer' at, pretendin' you do it to help those in need, when in reality, you only do it to make yourself look good to those around you." Silence fell as he finished his rant, feeling a little lighter now that he was done trying to be civil.

'_Who hired you?' Eliot snarled, _

_Instead of caving, the dark haired man did a most unexpected thing…he laughed._

_Eliot was thrown off for a moment. He had already given the man a broken nose and broken jaw, and was fixing to turn him over to his employer who was not known for being a forgiving person. What the hell could he possibly have to laugh at?_

'_You really are as trusting as she said,' the man finally answered with a condescending smile. 'It's been staring you in the face for a while, you were just too blind to see.'_

_Eliot's eyes widened just the smallest bit as the answer hit him in the gut._

But as the memory faded, he was mildly surprised however to see her eyes glisten with unshed tears before her entire demeanor shifted. "Well aren't you talented," she began, her voice shaky, but surprisingly cold. "How fortunate you are to have the ability to know everything about a person without ….."

"I don't need to get to know you," he finished.

"You're right…you don't. I don't waste my time trying to make friends with people that decide who a person is by their outward appearance." Their conversation was starting to attract attention at this point, including Nate and the team. "You obviously don't want to try and get to know me, so congratulations…you've got your wish. Please try to keep your distance from me and I will afford you the same courtesy," she finished with a forced friendly tone, before turning to meet Kieran, who had made his way to them during their argument. Giving Eliot a look that might have made him cower had he not been who he was, the younger man put his arm around Ally's waist and led her away.

"What was that about man?" Hardison wanted to know, stopping next to him.

"Told her some hard truths."

"You upset her," Parker stated, showing up out of nowhere. "She's nice…why do you have to be so grouchy all the time?"

"She wanted to know why I didn't like her…so I told her."

"Why don't you like her?" Parker wanted to know.

"She a spoiled, self-entitled socialite that leeches her daddy's money and pulls the naïve card to get her way," he growled.

"She's not like that at all," Parker snapped. "You've probably scared her away now. She's my friend and you upset her," the thief snapped before stalking off.

"She hardly knows her and she's already claimin' her as a Bff?" Eliot snarked.

"While you've been wasting your energy judgin' her, Parker and I have actually spent some time with her," Hardison defended. "She's a nice person if you take the time to get to know her," he finished before turning and walking off…most likely to search for Parker.

"I'm sure you think you have your reasons," Nate piped up, making his presence known. "But she's not like you think she is."

"I doubt that," Eliot snorted.

Nate shook his head. "I don't believe she's anything like the other woman was," the grifter stated from Nate's side.

"What other woman?" Eliot retorted defensively.

Sophie just lifted a sculpted eyebrow before walking off with Nate.

'_What about you and me? I thought…'_

'_You thought what?' she laughed. 'That I actually loved you? I needed a scapegoat, nothing more.'_

Eliot knew he wasn't wrong though. Everything he had seen and heard so far made him feel justified in his argument.

So why did the sight of her beautiful turquoise eyes glistening with unshed tears stay burned in his mind?

**AN: For those of you who haven't read one of my stories, I give out chocolate, whip cream and cookies to those who review. Did I mention that a shirtless Eliot was included in that?**

**Seriously, I like hearing from you guys. What you liked, what you didn't…it helps me get better.**

**~Jen~**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I had this really nifty con planned out to steal the rights to Leverage. BUT, last minute I was caught and given a stern talkin' to by Eliot. I was so dazed by his eyes & lips…'cough' I mean tone, that I agreed not to do it. =)**

**AN: I'm sorry it took so long, I had a SERIOUS case of writer's block.**

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

**Chapter 3**

The next two weeks were…interesting to say the least. Ally became a regular fixture at Nate's, which wouldn't have normally been a problem for Eliot…except that it was used as their office as well.

She was everywhere. At least that's what it seemed like to the hitter. To be fair though, she stayed out of his way, didn't attempt conversation with him; let alone any type of interaction, and did her damnedest to ignore him as often as possible.

Which was fine with him.

But for some reason he couldn't fathom, Parker had adopted the red head. And in return it seemed as if Ally had formed a bond with their eccentric thief. In the last week alone, they had gone to the movies, had lunch twice, and even gone grocery shopping. Eliot had no idea how that was something to get as excited about as Parker had been when she returned, but she didn't stop talking about it for an hour. He might have found out if he had been listening, but he had learned long ago how to tune the blonde out when his brain needed a break.

Hardison's theory was that they had the same eccentric personality, as well as quite a few of the same likes. But Eliot wouldn't know, as he did his best to ignore Ally whenever she was around. But from what he had seen, her personality was nowhere near as 'off' as their thief's was. Straight-laced would be a better term for her. Although every time he thought that, it sat wrong with him…it didn't seem to belong in the same sentence when describing her. But as per usual, whenever he entertained the thought of trying to figure her out, however briefly those moments were, a headache would form and the moment would pass.

He held firmly in his belief that there was something about her that didn't quite fit. He'd only seen her around her father, brother and boyfriend a handful of times, but when he did, she seemed as if she was forcing herself to be the perfect, polite and obedient, daughter-sister-girlfriend; all prim and proper. And it always seemed wrong to Eliot, as if she was trying to force an outfit on that didn't fit. But sometimes he would see brief flashes of a completely different personality, one that wasn't so demure. One that had a little sass and actually acted like a twenty four year old and not like someone in their forties. But then it would disappear, replaced by the one that she presented to everyone else. Why did no one else see that?

Okay, maybe he had been paying more attention to her than he originally thought.

Eliot looked up from his beer and across the room to the subject of his thoughts, wondering why the hell he was hanging around when this was supposed to be one of their rare days off. Ally had Sophie, Hardison and Parker playing cards of all things. An activity that had the thief much more excited than she should be.

Ever the peacemaker, Sophie spoke up, "Why don't you join us Eliot?"

His eyebrow rose in amused disbelief. Was she joking? Why in the hell would he want to do that?

But then he saw how Ally's demeanor tensed, and he smirked. "Sure, why not. What're we playin?" he asked as he took a seat next to Hardison, putting him across the table from the red head.

His darker side secretly enjoyed how uncomfortable his decision to play was obviously making her. But as she had been making him feel the same way for weeks, he couldn't really find it in him to care.

The cards were dealt and the rules explained. They were playing a game of Irish Twist it seemed. It was pretty much the same as the card game Uno, but played with poker cards.

When it became Parker's turn, Eliot watched as she closed her eyes and started feeling the corner of her card.

"What the hell are you doin'?"

The thief didn't answer right away, as she didn't know it was her he was talking to since her eyes were closed.

"Parker!"

"Shh Eliot, I'm trying to read," she replied finally.

Eliot had noticed the moment the cards where in his hand that they had braille writing in the corner, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out why Parker was trying to read them as such.

"Eight of Diamonds!" she declared proudly, laying the card down in the center pile.

"It's actually a Jack of Hearts mama," Hardison corrected her gently.

The thief's eyes opened quickly and a pout formed when she realized he was right.

"I thought I had it right that time."

Ally reached out and found the card, rubbing the pad of her index finger over the top corner briefly. "You just have the pattern backwards. Here, let me show you," she offered, reaching out to find the blonde's hand.

It was then that Eliot realized…Ally was teaching Parker to read Braille.

"Oh, okay, now I've got it," Parker proclaimed excitedly.

"Why in the hell are you learnin' to read braille? You ain't blind Parker."

"Ally reads it, and I'm her friend. So I should know how to read it to," she answered simply.

"Ally was actually giving us all a little lesson," Sophie added.

"It's actually kinda cool man," Hardison admitted with a grin.

"Would you…like me to show you?" Ally offered tentatively.

His three teammates all turned to him with expectant expressions, waiting for his reply. Eliot just ignored them and searched the red head's face. It was obvious to anyone who cared to look that she was apprehensive of his answer. And for some reason, he couldn't find it in him not to recognize her offer for the olive branch it was.

"Sure, why not. It could be useful to know," he finally conceded, not missing the tension leave the others' bodies.

And just like that, he found himself being taught braille by everyone at the table. The warmth of Ally's small hands as she gently led the pads of his fingers over the braille labeling, wearing a tentative smile, left his ire of her momentarily forgotten. He even found himself smirking at moments in the game as hints of everyone's competitiveness came out, resulting in skipped turns and team ups, only to lead to smiles and good natured ribbing. And so for the next hour they played, Nate even joining in halfway through when he got home from wherever he had been. No one bothered to notice that at some point during the game…any rivalry faded, leaving only six friends laughing and enjoying a good game of cards.

"Is that necklace special or somethin'?" Parker suddenly asked as Hardison shuffled the cards.

"Hmm?" Having been deep in thought, the thief's question seemed to surprise Ally.

"Your necklace…you've been playing with it for half an hour."

"Oh, it was a gift from my mother."

"Why a bee?"

A soft smile lit Ally's face. "A bee symbolizes industry, humanitarianism and compassion. They work tirelessly to contribute to their community and have an innate sense of fellowship. My mom believed that it was a person's responsibility to help where they could and not just sit back idly when something could be done."

"And that's why you help at the school," Sophie concluded with a smile.

Ally nodded. "I do as much as I can to try and honor her memory. And helping children makes me happy."

'_You can't imagine the…rush, the feeling I get from helping others. It's so rewarding to help people with so little when I have so much. Why shouldn't I share with them and help where I can?'_

'_You're somethin' else sweetheart,' Eliot replied with a smile, before leaning in to kiss her lovingly._

'_I can only hope that my grandmother would be proud of me…if she were still alive,' she whispered sadly._

'_I know she would,' he answered._

"I'm sure you mom would be so proud of how you turned out then," Eliot replied dryly as the memory faded.

The silence that followed was immediate and painfully deafening. And the olive branch that had been tentatively offered, was snapped in half, leaving nothing but twigs and a harsh return to reality.

Ally choked back what suspiciously sounded like a sob as her eyes glistened with unshed tears. Frozen by their shock, the others could do nothing but stare at the 'train wreck' that the situation had just become.

The hitter hadn't quite meant for it to sound as callous as it had. But it was too late to take it back now. No matter how...enjoyable the last hour of distraction had been, that's all it had been; a distraction from the truth of her true nature.

Her voice was dangerously quiet and serenely calm as she addressed him. "I would kindly ask you to never speak disrespectfully of my mother again. You can hate me all you like, but do not insult her memory. I have done nothing to deserve this treatment you have directed at me. I have tried to be civil in your presence because I enjoy spending time with the others. But if you are not willing to act like an adult, I will stop coming over here, because I am done submitting myself to your verbal abuse." Her polite tone never wavered, making the action that much more of an accomplishment, as it served to not only insult the hitter, but chastise him as well.

There was the sass he was talking about, he thought with an internal smirk, before the realization of being told he was acting childish by a twenty four year old slapped him in the face.

Varying degrees of expressions adorned the team's faces as they watched the petite redhead stand up for herself quite admirably to their gruff hitter for yet a second time. It wasn't every day that someone stood toe to toe with Eliot Spencer once, let alone twice.

"Not used to people callin' you out, I get it," he chuckled weakly, pushing back the speck of remorse that had formed. "But I've had experience with your type sweetheart. You're not as selfless as you make yourself out to be."

"I thought you had…the last hour was…" she began in confusion.

"You thought wrong," Eliot interjected harshly, trying to ignore the hurt on her face.

"Parker, we're taking Ally out for lunch," Sophie announced, giving Eliot a disgusted glare as she stood up and gently took Ally's arm and led her to the door. Parker picked up Ally's purse and cane before following.

A derisive scoff escaped Eliot once the girls had left.

"Eliot, that's enough!" Nate barked out. "You've made your dislike of Ally very clear, but you need to stop going out of your way to insult her further. Go home and cool off. And don't come back until you can act civil. I'll call you if we have a job."

Jaw clenched at the mastermind's commanding tone, Eliot silently turned and left. Even though she wasn't there at the moment to further irritate him, he silently agreed that he needed to get away and calm down. Maybe if he was lucky he could find something or someone to hit….violently.

He knew immediately after saying it that he had crossed the line including her mother in his issues with her. His mama had taught him better. Ally really hadn't done anything in the last couple of weeks to condemn herself further. But then again, he hadn't really spent a lot of time in her presence. But Nate was right. While he might not like her, there was no excuse for him to outright attack her when she had done nothing to provoke him. He needed to lay off.

'_You're not very bright are you," she sneered, not caring that she had been found out. 'Of course it was me. I have a certain…lifestyle that I would like to keep. The money will help with that.'_

'_But he's your father,' Eliot had managed to get out through his shock. _

_She made an ugly face. 'He hasn't been my father for years. He cares more for the next deal he can make. Nothing more.'_

Eliot shook himself mentally at his moment of weakness. There was no way he was wrong about her, he thought to himself as he got in his truck.

So why was it beginning to sound as if he was trying to convince himself more than anything?

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"So I was thinking…that new romantic comedy with Ashton Kutcher comes out tomorrow, you want to go see it?" Olivia asked her friend as she took a sip of her cappuccino.

Ally continued to distractedly pick at her Danish as if she hadn't heard.

"Or we could go dancing. Get really drunk and take advantage of your personal driver for the night," she tried instead. Still, the red head did not respond. "Of course, there's always the option of skinny dipping in Boston Bay. That could be pretty fun."

"Mmm?" Ally finally responded, looking up with a confused expression.

"There you are," Olivia chuckled.

"I'm sorry Olive, I'm just…"

"You're not still worrying over what that asshole said are you? It's almost been a week. Like you told him, he doesn't know you. He's not worth this…mood you're in. Now I want you to repeat after me. I will not let harsh words turn me into a pouting teenager. Go on…say it," she urged with a grin.

"Ha ha," Ally replied dryly. "You're right though. I won't let it affect me anymore," she promised.

"Good. Now, were you more interested in the movie or…oh my. Girl I wish you could see right now. Because if I didn't like girls more…"

"What are ya on about?" Ally chuckled.

"The gorgeous specimen of man that just walked in. He's a little on the short side, but everything else makes up for it. The boy definitely works out," she explained, obviously appreciating the view. "Even the long hair is working for him. Reminds me of an actor on a show I once watched. You remember the one I told you about? About the vampire in L.A.?"

"Are you talking about the one where the central character was fighting a group of evil lawyers?"

"Yeah, that's the one. I swear he looks just like the main lawyer."

"I still can't believe you watched that. Evil lawyers? Not really original in my book," she smiled. "We can go see the movie, it looked…"

"No, I just want a black coffee. That's it," the voice insisted gruffly.

Ally's eyes widened and her face paled the slightest. "Ally? What's wrong sweetie? Are you okay?" Olivia was by her side instantly.

"A large. How hard is that to understand?"

"That's him," Ally whispered desperately. "That's Eliot."

Olivia looked from her to the man she had previously been admiring. "That's the asshole?" she replied incredulously. "I think I'll go introduce myself," she declared, her chocolate eyes narrowing as she began to stand up.

"Olive no. Please. I think I'll go to the restroom and give him a few minutes to leave," she stated, getting up and making her way as quickly and carefully as possible through the tables. Sighing in resignation, Olivia sat back and waited for her return.

Eliot turned around with his coffee minutes later and caught the dark skinned woman staring at him. A charming smile appeared on his face as he walked over to her. "Hello beautiful. My names Eliot. What's yours?"

She stood up slowly to face him, her height giving her a good five inches over him, wearing a look of disdain. "I know who you are," she answered, before pulling her hand back and slapping him in the face hard enough to jerk his head to the side. "Olivia Phillips, Allyson Hayes' best friend," she all but growled.

"So you're the elusive Olive," Eliot said, rubbing his reddened cheek.

"Ally is the sweetest, most kind hearted person I have ever met. If you had spent even the tiniest amount of time trying to actually get to know her, you'd realize that. For someone to even suggest the things you said to her…it's just ludicrous."

"She got you to drink the cool aid to huh?" he chuckled, taking a sip of his coffee.

"She's my friend. Maybe you've heard the word?" she hissed. "I would say you owed her an apology for your unadulterated rudeness, but that would require you talking to her and I don't want you anywhere near her."

"Not a problem. I don't spend my time around fakes."

"How would you know she's a fake? She said you two never had an actual conversation."

"I can tell the type…trust me."

"I'd trust you about as much as I'd trust someone selling electronics from the back of a van. There is nothing fake about her."

"She's twenty four and still lives with her father who's rich and she refuses to work. Instead, she 'volunteers' at a school."

"Volunteers?" Olivia repeated with a chuckle. "Is that what she told you?" Eliot's smug expression spoke for him. "She owns that school dumbass," she spat, shocking him with the news. "Why do you think it's named after her mother's maiden name? She works her ass off six days a week making that place run as smoothly as it does and visiting the hospital. I have to force her to get out and have fun. Of course her father, Kieran and Josh don't make that easy. Parker's been helping me get her out a little more, but it's still like trying to get a cat to like water."

Eliot wondered briefly what she meant by the comment about the men in Ally's life, before registering the last thing she said. "You've met Parker?"

"Yeah I've met her. She's an odd one, but she's a good person. Honestly you were the only one of your group I hadn't met up until now."

Why did that surprise him as much as it did?

"Ally refuses to work for her dad, not in general, FYI. She doesn't have the passion for numbers that she does for those children. And she hasn't spent a dime of her father's money for years. So the next time you want to humiliate someone, get your facts straight. Because if you hurt her or make her cry again? I'm going to punch you," she finished with a smile. "Have a good day Mr. Spencer," she concluded in a dismissive voice before sitting back down and taking a sip of her cappuccino.

Eliot left the coffee shop in a somewhat distracted state, mulling over the surprise confrontation and the information it had revealed. The tiny seed of doubt that had formed sometime in the last week since that train wreck of a card game began to grow.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

They were getting closer to Moreau every day.

He had tried for months to do what he could to prevent the inevitable, but without telling them the truth; which was NOT an option, all he could do was watch their backs and hope it was enough.

"What the…" he growled as he collided with someone just inside the door of the bar.

It was Ally. Of course it was. But she didn't look like the woman he usually encountered. Her hair looked unkempt under her beanie, and due to her unbuttoned, wool coat that seemed to hang limply from her hunched shoulders, he could see that her cream blouse was rumpled and not even tucked into the dark blue slacks she wore. Where the hell was the woman that always had the ability to brighten a room with just her smile and seemed to cheer up everyone around her? Excluding himself of course.

"Eliot…I can't…just…." she seemed to be struggling to get the words out.

How the hell had she known it was him?

"…please don't…not today," she finished in a whisper.

It was her pleading tone that stopped his tongue from uttering the next insult, but it was her ocean hued gaze looking up at him that had him forgetting to draw in his next breath. This was not the cheerful, easy going woman that he had been loathing the last month. What stood in front of him instead, was a broken woman consumed by raw anguish and crippling grief.

Why did he have the sudden urge to pull her into his arms and comfort her?

He couldn't remember the last time he had seen such heartache reflected in someone's eyes. Anything that might have been on the tip of his tongue to use as a barb against her was erased as he observed her. His mind was having too difficult of a time trying to come to terms with the expression on her face, one he could never remember having seen on the one from his memory.

Parker took her arm gently and led her around the hitter. "C'mon, let's go for a walk. We'll go to the park and swing."

The red head nodded before looking in Hardison's direction. "I'll see you on Wednesday?"

"Most definitely," he answered, taking a step forward to pull her into a quick hug. "Six o'clock, minions and chocolate."

Hardison saw Eliot's confused expression as the girls left and decided to elaborate. "Despicable Me." At the hitter's continued befuddlement he rolled his eyes. "Little yellow dudes with goggles? It's a movie? She likes animated ones."

Eliot was still trying to process. "They're going to the park to swing? It's January."

"It calms her," the younger man explained. "And it's only 60F out. She's from Ireland man."

The two men stood in silence for a moment. Eliot felt as if the earth had tilted on its axis. He was mentally spinning with confusion over what had just happened and he couldn't figure out why the whole situation was sitting wrong with him.

Hardison just watched in mild amusement as the hitter tried to figure things out.

"You know, if you wanted to take another stab at her, that would have been the perfect moment." He didn't hide his irritation for his teammate.

"What happen…Josh didn't get her a piece of jewelry she wanted?" The barb didn't hold its usual bite. He was too busy trying to wipe the image of her haunted expression from his mind.

"Nah man," Hardison replied in an unusually somber tone. "She was at the children's hospital all night."

Eliot's forehead furrowed in question. "She volunteers there," the hacker added. The hitter snorted. Hardison's eyes hardened, but then he just shook his head. "One of the kids died last night. He was six," he finished softly, before turning and heading to the back elevators.

… _at the hospital she volunteers at…_

…_she owns that school dumbass…_

… _she hasn't spent a dime of her father's money for years…_

… _she was at the children's hospital all night…_

…_please don't…_

It was at that moment that reality finally caught up and sucker punched him in the face, throwing his mind into a tailspin as it tried to reconcile what he now accepted as the truth, from what he had thought he had known all along.

Her beautiful turquoise eyes, so full of grief, pain and sorrow; so much more sorrow than he'd ever seen reflected in one person's gaze for a child not even hers…

….reminded him nothing of the deep brown ones from his past.

**AN: Yeah I know…about time, right? (Eliot & Me). Lol. I had a really hard time trying to figure out how to evolve his perception of her. I hope you guys liked it. =)**

**Jen**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Dear friend who hast misjudged me so,**

**The time may come, when you will know**

**The wrong you did me, and the pain**

**You caused the heart you thought so vain. **

**Misjudged by Ella Wheeler**

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

The look of betrayal on Hardison's face had stung, but it had been the disappointment and anger on Nate's face that had cut him deep, hurting him more than he had thought possible. He had tried for months to prevent this from happening, it was his job to protect them. But now it was too late. They knew he had worked for Moreau. Parker asking what he had done for the man almost had him breaking down in front of them, but he was firm in his resolve to never reveal that to anyone. He tried every damn day to forget himself, but even after all these years, the screams still filled his head at night.

There was a reason he didn't sleep much.

And now Moreau had gotten away. Escaped like the coward he was to a country with no extradition. What he'd done in the warehouse to get Nate and the Italian out had been for nothing. No, not for nothing…his job was to protect Nate, and even though he had sworn never to use guns again, he had done exactly that…protected him.

He had no idea what the older man was planning, and honestly couldn't see how following Moreau to San Lorenzo was going to do any good. But at this point he was willing to try anything if there was even the slightest chance it would put that bastard away.

Turning off his engine, Eliot got out of his truck, and for the first time since getting in it, took notice of his surroundings. Having planned on going home to decompress before the flight in the morning, he was surprised to find himself outside a building he had passed by several times in the last week.

"What the hell?" he muttered in frustrated confusion.

"_Maybe you should really try to get to know her."_

"_While you've been wasting your energy judgin' her, Parker and I have actually spent some time with her."_

"…_please don't…not today."_

"_One of the kids died last night. He was six."_

He had tried…truly he had. He had passed by this building several times in the last week to do what he knew he had to. But every time, without fail, the pain in her beautiful eyes flooded his memory and he froze. How the hell did one even begin to apologize for how he had treated her? He hadn't seen her since the encounter in the bar, but he had heard Sophie talking to Nate the other day about having taken her to a spa day to take her mind off her grief. Just hearing the grifter speak of the young women's sorrow caused his already insurmountable guilt to burrow deeper, piercing his gut as physically as any knife ever had.

But now here he was, once again standing in the parking garage of her apartment building.

Even his subconscious was telling him to man up.

Eliot sighed. "Ah hell, why not?" he muttered, making his way inside.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

The man at the front desk gave him a suspicious look when he told him who he was there to see, but a quick ring up to the apartment confirmed that she was up.

Why was she awake this late at night? Then again, why was he there so late at night feeling the need to talk to her?

He knew that the encounter wouldn't go well. The way he had treated her had been…well, it might have been nicer to hit her like Hardison had suggested. He fully expected her to yell at him, hit him, or even slam the door in his face.

Eliot never could have expected the sight that met his eyes when the door was opened however.

Given, it was the middle of the night, so finding her bare foot in a pair of pajamas with her hair in a sloppy pony tail shouldn't have surprised him all that much.

"Eliot? Is everything alright? Did something happen?"

The worry in her voice made him quickly realize that she thought something bad had happened to one of the team. Why else would he be there? But instead of reassuring her, he went another direction.

"Are those the…Muppets on your pajamas?" Eliot mentally hit himself. That was not what he wanted to start off with.

Her face took on an incensed expression. "You offend me, treat me like dirt on the bottom of your shoe, humiliate me in front of my friends and family, disrespect my mother's memory, and then show up at my place at one in the morning…to insult my pajamas?"

"You're right. That's not what I…I don't even know why I'm…" he sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not good at this."

"At what?"

"Apologizing."

"Is that what you're trying to do?" a hint of sarcasm laced her tone.

Another hint of attitude. "There's no excuse for the way I treated you. You gave me no reason for it."

Her posture relaxed. "Go on."

She wasn't going to make this easy and he honestly couldn't blame her.

"I acted like an ass."

"Yes you did."

He pushed down the growl of frustration that threatened.

"I'm sorry I misjudged you," he finally admitted.

The silence that followed his long overdue apology seemed to drag on for the longest time to the hitter. He didn't admit his wrong doings lightly. But in reality, it took about thirty seconds for him to receive a reply.

"Okay."

His head jerked up to meet her face with a look of incredulity. "Okay?"

"Yes. Apology accepted. Thank you."

His brows furrowed. "Why?"

"Because everyone deserves a second chance," she answered honestly. "Please come in. I'll put on some tea."

And just like that, he was following her down a short hallway lined with impressive paintings that he knew Parker and Sophie had given lingering perusals. He passed a lavishly appointed dining room on his right, and then turned a corner to get a brief glance into a large living area on his left, before finally stopping in a kitchen that was every chef's dream, including his.

Espresso colored cabinets with silver handles lined three walls, with cream colored, granite countertops that provided enough workspace for three chefs. State of the art appliances gleamed in brushed metal, giving a professional feel. Numerous pots, skillets and sauté pans hung from hooks above the large, square island that took center stage of the space. And while it was an impressive kitchen in Eliot's book, it lacked any personal feel to it; other than the small, orange potted flowers on the center of the island.

Taking a seat on one of the stools at the island, he took a moment to watch her. It truly was a sight to see her so…not coifed. She moved around the kitchen effortlessly, , as graceful as any ballet dancer. At the moment she seemed more her than the person he had first met.

"Hope I didn't wake your dad," he said as she filled a kettle with water.

"He sleeps like the dead. The only reason I answered is because I was already awake. Who was the girl? If you don't mind my asking."

"Girl?"

"The one you were comparing me to," she clarified with a soft smile as she turned the burner on.

"What makes you think there's a girl?"

She chuckled. "I believe your exact words were…"I've had experience with your type."

He sighed. Minus a few details, he couldn't find the harm in telling her. A small part of him thought he owed it to her even.

"Her name was Celia. Her father's work was dangerous, so he hired me as her bodyguard. She was beautiful, selfless, kind. She was constantly helping others. I lost count of all the charities she was a part of."

She took the seat across from him and waited.

"I fell hard for her. She was so… spontaneous. It had been a long time since I had let loose and really had fun, and she brought that out in me. I thought she felt the same way."

"But she didn't?"

A dry chuckle escaped him. "No. She was the one trying to kill her father." Ally gasped. "Her father was attacked one night. I was…well, I was already there let's say and I stopped the attacker. When he revealed who had hired him…" He paused for a moment, letting the old hurt crawl back up. "I confronted her. Nothing had been real. Her feelings for me, the charity work…nothin'. It was all a cover. She wanted her father dead for the insurance money and his business."

"What did you do?"

"I subdued her and took her to her father. He was devastated. She was his little girl, his only child. No one ever saw her again after that," he finished.

"He killed his own daughter?!"

"No one could ever prove it because there was no body. But most likely."

"How sad," she said as she got up to turn off the now whistling kettle. He agreed. "So you thought I was a money grubbing, spoiled rich girl who would kill her father for money?" she asked, pouring hot water from the kettle carefully into two cups.

"Maybe not the killin' your father part…but you didn't exactly help your case."

"How so?" she asked curiously, gently setting a cup of tea in front of him before sitting down with her own.

"Besides still livin' with your dad and not workin'? Callin' your driver an inconvenience to start. Then there was the way your treated Josh over the phone that day at lunch. Seemed like you were irritated that he was bothering you. And of course all the tutors you talk about havin' had over the years cause you were bored," he concluded.

"Okay…I guess I can see why you thought like you did," she nodded, taking a sip of her tea. "Josh and I have different….views on the people that work for me," she began.

"You don't have to…"

"No…you explained why you acted like you did, now it's my turn." He nodded. "While I'm friends with most everyone that works for Daddy or I, Josh thinks I need to treat them as employees. Roger's little girl gets sick quite often, so occasionally he has to take care of her if his wife is at work. Josh considers that an inconvenience. And yes, I admit that I was irritated with him that day. We occasionally have…disagreements on the fact of whether or not he should know where I am at all times."

"Overprotective huh?"

"You could say that," she told him softly. "He's not the only one. Ever since my…well, let's just say that I love learning new things and hiring tutors allows me to do so easily without worrying my family," she concluded, obviously not wanting to go into further detail.

Knowing that she had just shared something really personal that seemed to be a sore subject, he decided to reciprocate. "My past has made me very untrusting of people and as a result I usually come off as being blunt and lacking tact at times."

"You don't say?" she snorted lightly.

"Ass remember?" he chuckled. "Somethin' that you're gonna learn I'm very proficient at bein'."

"That sounds like I'm going to get the chance to actually get to know you," she prodded.

"Everyone else seems to like you, so why not?" he smirked, bringing his cup to his lips.

Ally smiled. "Okay, I'd like that."

"Chamomille?" he asked, after tasting the tea in his hand.

"Mmm hmm," she murmured in reply. "It has a soothing effect."

His nerves were shot, and he was very tense. But yet again, he speculated how she was able to read people so well. "Why don't you tell people you own the school?" He smirked at her shocked expression. "Your friend Olivia," he added.

She smiled and nodded. "My mother taught me that true charity is anonymous. It is not something one does for recognition, but simply to help those in need. Olive is the only one who knows. Well, and now you."

"How did you open it without your father knowing? You had to have financial backing from somewhere."

"When my mom…died, she made me the beneficiary of her life insurance. When I was fourteen, I invested it. Needless to say, I haven't spent any of Daddy's money since I was sixteen."

"I don't think I can apologize enough for…"

"It's in the past. Let's just start fresh and move forward," she smiled.

"Agreed."

"So, was today a bad day?"

His brows furrowed. "Why do you ask?"

"Your voice. It sounds strained. Your whole demeanor seems tense. And I don't think you showed up at my doorstep at one in the morning just to apologize when you could have done it in the morning."

"I had to do something today I swore to myself I'd never do again," he admitted.

"Does this have to do with your job?"

"Yeah, the man we're goin' after…I did some…pretty bad things for him in the past. Things I'm…not proud of."

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked softly.

"No," he answered shortly.

"Okay. Do you like working with Uncle Nate?"

He relaxed just the slightest at her change of subject. It was a relief that she hadn't pushed.

"Depends on what day it is," he replied with a smirk. "Nate's a good man, but he can also be a bastard." Realizing what he had just said, his gaze jerked up. "Sorry."

"About what? From what Daddy has told me, that seems accurate," Ally replied with a chuckle. "How did all of you come together?"

"A client hired us separately because of our individual…talents to help him with a business issue." It wasn't a lie, but he also didn't know her well enough yet to tell her the full truth. He also didn't think Nate would appreciate him telling her of their true background.

"And after the job was complete, you decided to stay together?"

He scoffed, "We fought it tooth and nail at first. All of us were so used to working alone and not depending on anyone else. But in the end, the feeling we got from using our…skills to help others was too addicting."

Ally's head tilted in curiosity at the pause, but decided not to ask.

And so their conversation continued, everything from how she liked Boston to the places he had lived before. But somewhere along the way, it turned into him sharing a little of his childhood in Oklahoma, and some of the stunts he had pulled that he knew had been the cause of his parent's gray hairs.

"You set your backyard on fire?!" she choked out, trying to hold back her laughter.

He smirked. "Wasn't what I was goin' for obviously. I was six. Didn't realize you're supposed to place stones around it to keep it from spreadin'. Course it didn't help that there was a drought goin' on at the time," he chuckled.

"How much trouble were you in?" she giggled.

"I had to help my mom weed the garden for two months."

"That doesn't sound too bad."

"Her garden was an acre of various flowers, berries, fruits and vegetables," he added.

"Oh no," Ally chuckled, trying to sound sympathetic, but failing.

"Turned out all right. It's the reason I like growin' my own food now."

"You have a food garden here in the city?" The curiosity in her voice was obvious.

"Yeah, I'll show you sometime," he offered.

"I'd like that," she smiled.

"Can't believe I've been talkin' this much."

"I'm told I'm a great listener," she replied with a grin.

"I'm surprised you let me in. I'm virtually a stranger."

"How can I get to know you if I don't take the opportunity to do so?" she countered.

"I honestly don't think I deserve it with how I treated you."

"It sounded like you needed someone to talk to. Seems like I was right."

"I should leave and let you get some sleep," he sighed, reluctantly standing up. The last hour had proven to him not only that she was nothing like he had thought she was, but that being in her presence seemed to have a balming effect on his nerves. Even after insulting her unjustly, she had opened her door to a virtual stranger, and just…listened. "We have a flight that leaves in the morning and…"

"You don't have to leave on my account. Like I said before, I was awake anyway. I don't sleep much," she finished softly.

"You're not the only one. Are you sure about me stayin'?" he asked hesitantly. He tried to hide his hopeful tone, but if her soft smile was anything to go by she had noticed.

"I was just about to start a movie. Maybe you could explain some of the parts I won't be able to follow?" was all she said as stood up.

Even though it frustrated him that someone he had just met was having such an effect on him, he couldn't stop the sense of relief that washed through him. And that was when he realized with a start…..

…he hadn't wanted to leave.

But for some reason, that revelation didn't bother him as much as he thought it should.

"Are you hungry?" she asked, taking his silence as agreement.

"You don't have to…"

"I made a seven layer dip earlier that goes well with tortilla chips. It wouldn't take much to put together a couple of sandwiches."

"I'll make 'em then," he offered, heading to the refrigerator.

"They're just sandwiches, I can manage," she assured him.

"You've never had one of my sandwiches," he countered confidently.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Fifteen minutes later, they were making themselves comfortable on the couch, setting their food and drinks on the coffee table.

"Thanks for not slammin' the door in my face," he admitted suddenly.

"I want us to be friends Eliot. I always have. My door's open anytime," she told him, tentatively reaching out to find his hand and place hers on top of it. "And you're welcome," she added softly, before pulling her hand away.

Eliot missed the contact immediately, but pushed the feeling aside to focus on the fact that despite their rocky start, he might actually find it possible to make a woman friend outside his team. And as he settled into her very comfortable couch for the movie, he also reluctantly admitted to himself that it might be good to have someone outside of his job to talk to.

His pants tightened suddenly from the moan that sounded through the room, jerking his attention back to the woman next to him. Frozen, he could do nothing but stare at the look of rapture on her face, her enjoyment teetering on the edge of sexual.

"I am never eating another sandwich that you haven't made," she murmured in between bites.

He chuckled as he worked his body's reaction down from her outburst. "How about whenever I'm around and you're hungry, I'll make you one. We'll consider it a continued apology for me bein' an ass."

"Works for me," she replied happily, mouth full of sandwich.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

The smell of bacon teased Eliot into awareness, slowly bringing him up from the depths of slumber. He stretched lazily, enjoying the brief moment of quiet one experienced very briefly between sleep and wakefulness. Sleeping on a couch wasn't usually on his top ten of most comfortable places to sleep, but he found that his muscles weren't any worse for it. The fact that he had slept at all surprised him momentarily, but he quickly realized it was simply because he had been in an environment that he was relaxed in. Of course that only lasted briefly until he realized he was being watched. His entire body tensed, automatically preparing for combat as he slowly turned his head to meet the amused face of Patrick Hayes.

"Good morning Eliot," he greeted, take a sip from a coffee mug.

"Mornin'," he replied, automatically looking around for Ally.

"She's on the balcony enjoying the sunrise," Patrick answered knowingly. At Eliot's confused expression, he smiled. "While I require coffee, my Ally is a morning person my nature. She hasn't missed a sunrise since she was three. Even after the…accident, she was still determined to meet the sun every morning. Assured me that being blind didn't keep her from enjoying the warmth on her face," he smiled, somewhat sadly.

The catch in the man's voice when the accident was mentioned did not go unnoticed by the hitter, but it was none of his business so he let it be. "There happen to be any coffee left?"

"It's in the pot on the counter. Cups are in the cabinet above it."

"Thanks," he murmured, getting up and making his way to do just that. "Sorry for crashin' on your couch."

"I must admit, I was a little startled to find you sleeping there, but then Ally explained." Eliot nodded, but remained silent as the older man examined him. "Ally is very trusting. Sometimes much more than she should be." Eliot heard the unspoken message. "I can only imagine the kind of people that would take advantage of her…naïve view of the world if she wasn't still living with me. That's why I'm glad I've been able to keep her with me for so long."

So that was the reason she still lived at home.

"Good to see you finally came to your senses though. Much longer and either I or Kieran were going to have a talk with you," he finished with an amused expression.

"To be honest, I've been tryin' to find a way to apologize for a few days now, but…"

"You're stubborn and don't like to admit when you're wrong," Patrick concluded. Eliot only nodded.

"Didn't intend to stay so late…but around her….never mind, I sound like a damn soap opera character."

Patrick chuckled. "No, I understand. Ally has that effect on everyone. She has an easygoing demeanor and just…"

"…listens," Eliot finished, taking a sip of the bitter liquid, allowing himself to relax and enjoy the warmth going down his throat. Taking a quick glance at his watch and seeing it was only six thirty, he settled onto an island stool to slowly enjoy his coffee. "What time did she get up?" he murmured to himself.

Patrick released a full bodied laugh. "Oh, my girl has been up long enough to take a shower and cook us breakfast."

"I'm not…"

"You might as well eat. I don't even escape the house in the morning without a full stomach," he assured the hitter. "Your plate is in the microwave by the way."

Not only had she cooked breakfast for him, it was already plated and ready for him to eat. He couldn't remember the last time someone had taken care of him like that.

He had just sat back down with the heavily laden plate when Ally entered the room in a whirlwind of energy. "Daddy?"

"I'm here Angel," he replied, setting his now empty coffee cup in the sink. "I was just informing Eliot of your strong views on breakfast," he chuckled.

"Oh! Good Morning Eliot. I hope it's okay, I wasn't sure what you liked to eat, so I just made what I normally do," she told him as she poured hot water from the kettle into a tea cup.

He looked down at the plate in his hand, filled to the brim with hash browns, eggs, sausage, fruit and toast. This was what she normally made? "This is plenty. I don't usually eat this much in the morning."

"Really?" she asked, eyes wide. "Breakfast is the best and most important meal of the day. It's what gives you the energy you need. It…"

"He's eating it Angel," Patrick sniggered, "there's no need for the speech." A faint blush tinted her cheeks. "Well, I'll be going now. Eliot, it was a pleasure to see you again." Eliot nodded. "Angel, I'll see you later tonight." Leaning down he kissed her on the temple, eliciting a smile from the younger woman. "Don't let that school take up all your time today. I'm sure Josh would like to see you." Eliot withheld a chuckle at the glance her dad gave him.

"Of course Daddy," she replied, her smile not as bright as before. And then he was gone and they were left alone.

"You need a ride to the school?"

She glanced toward him a bit startled, as if her thoughts had been elsewhere. "That would be wonderful actually. If it wouldn't be too much trouble."

"Wouldn't have offered otherwise."

"Okay. The couch wasn't too uncomfortable I hope. I would have offered you the guest room, but I must admit, I caught a bit of a nap as well," she chuckled as she sipped her tea.

"It was actually pretty comfortable."

"That's a relief," she smiled, as she placed her cup in the sink. "Okay, I'll be fifteen…twenty minutes tops. Is that long enough? I don't want to rush your breakfast," she added, gently worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.

He found the action endearing. Her concern for him was touching, and he couldn't stop the soft smile that lit his face. "Nah, that's fine. You go get ready." With a smile and a nod, she left the room, a spring in her step. He just shook his head as he took another bite of toast. Her natural energy seemed to emanate from her, not only lending a bit of it to all around her, but also putting them in a little more of a better mood. It was something that he now acknowledged that he had observed over the last few weeks. He himself had showed up at her door last night irritated and pissed over the Moreau situation, but now; while still slightly frustrated, he had a more positive attitude that Nate's plan would work.

Showing up on her doorstep had definitely been a good decision.

**AN: While reviews are in no way required, I really do love hearing from you guys and what you liked/didn't like about the chapter. =)**

**Jen**


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